PLC President Praises Japan’s Vision for Partnership with Yemen and Regional Countries and Protection of Maritime Corridors

  Riyadh

Hie Excellency President Dr. Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, President of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), received today, Tuesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi to discuss the distinguished bilateral cooperation relations between the two friendly countries and prospects for strengthening and developing them at all levels. Foreign Minister and Expatriate Affairs Minister Afrah Al-Zouba attended the meeting.

President Al-Alimi welcomed the Japanese Foreign Minister and his accompanying delegation, asking him to convey his greetings to the Japanese leadership. His Excellency expressed his deep appreciation for the distinguished historical relations between the two friendly countries, founded on mutual respect, development, and progress.

The PLC President also commended Japan’s steadfast stances in support of the Yemeni people and their political leadership, noting that Japan is one of Yemen’s most important donor countries. He affirmed that Japanese support represents a long-term investment in the Yemeni people and their basic priorities in education, healthcare, food security, and institution-building.

President Al-Alimi expressed his appreciation for Japanese support to the Yemeni Coast Guard, looking forward to strengthening and developing this support in the areas of training, monitoring, surveillance and rescue, as well as combating terrorism, smuggling, and organized crime. He also stressed the importance of expanding such support to include electricity and renewable energy, and of moving further from emergency response toward recovery, job creation, and productive activities.

The President praised Japan’s experience and the successes it has achieved in economic development and technological advancement. He also described Japan as one of the most important models in modern history of how states and societies can recover from the effects of war and destruction. He highlighted Japan’s transition toward investing in people, education, institutions, and the rule of law.

President Al-Alimi also discussed current developments and the latest developments on the domestic scene, foremost among them the continued escalation by the Houthi militias and their terrorist attacks on civilian facilities and ports and commercial vessels. He expressed his high appreciation for Japan’s stance condemning this escalation, which undermines international peace and security.

The PLC President reiterated the Yemeni people’s commitment to the objective of restoring state institutions, ensuring the state’s legitimate monopoly on arms, and building a just and sustainable peace that protects Yemen’s territorial sovereignty. Such a peace, he stressed, must prevent Yemen’s territory from being used to threaten neighboring countries or international maritime corridors.

President Al-Alimi also affirmed Yemen’s interest in Japan’s vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region and the promising strategic partnerships it offers with Yemen and the countries of the region. He said there is an opportunity to open bilateral dialogue on integrating Yemen more fully into Japanese initiatives related to maritime security, connectivity, infrastructure, human-resource development, and human security.

The meeting was attended by Director of the Office of the Presidency of the Republic Dr. Yahya Al-Shuaibi, Japanese Ambassador to Yemen Yoichi Nakashima, Japanese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Yasunari Morino, and a number of Japanese officials.